The Healthiest Cinnamon Rolls I’ve Ever Made

These beauties are easy to make, can be baked fresh daily, and come out light and fluffy even though there’s no wheat flour in them. Or maybe because there’s no wheat flour in them. Plus, they’re gluten-free and easy for your body to metabolize! (Even if you’re not sensitive to gluten, it’s not great for digestion – the same gluten that makes such great impossible-to-remove wheat paste can also make a great big gluey mess in your intestines.)

1 tablespoon or packet of yeast
3 free-range eggs
1/4 cup olive oil
2 tablespoons butter
1/4 cup plus 2 tablespoons of sugar
1 1/4 cups cornstarch
1/4 teaspoon baking soda
2 teaspoons baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 1/4 teaspoons cinnamon
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
2/3 cup brown sugar
Optional: 1/3 cup of chopped nuts, 3/4 powdered sugar, another teaspoon of vanilla, and a little milk or water

Preheat the oven to 375. Mix the butter into a quarter-cup of sugar. Whisk the yeast into a little warm water or milk to dissolve, and add to the sugar along with the olive oil, cornstarch, baking soda, baking powder and salt ,and a teaspoon of the vanilla.

Set out a large piece of plastic wrap or waxed paper – about a foot square. Sprinkle the rest of the white sugar on it, and lay your dough on top. Cover with another big piece of plastic wrap or waxed paper and press or roll the dough out to that same basic size and shape.

Stir together the brown sugar, cinnamon, and nuts if using. Remove the top piece of wrap and spread cinnamon and sugar across the dough, leaving a sugar-free border of about an inch around the edges. Roll the dough up into one big log. Trim off any funny-shaped ends, and then cut into slices about an inch and a half thick. Grease a pan and lay them out in it; bake for about twenty minutes or until golden. If you’d rather, you can refrigerate these and bake one fresh each morning.

Meanwhile, whisk together the powdered sugar, the rest of the vanilla, and enough milk or water to make a smooth glaze. When the rolls are done, drizzle this glaze over them. You can also make them glaze-free if you’re worried about the sugar high.

photo credit: stevendepolo